Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman reaches 200 innings in loss

NEW YORK — The verdict is in on Marcus Stroman’s impressive 2017 season, though a heavy-handed Judge offered up a final word for the jury.

The Blue Jays starter topped 200 innings pitched for the second consecutive season, going four innings at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

But thanks to another mammoth blast by rookie Bronx Bomber Aaron Judge, the Yankees defeated the last-place Jays 2-1, as the finish line of the long, frustrating season is now just one day away.

The fourth-inning rocket off of Judge’s bat eventually travelled 484-feet and ruined any hope Stroman had of lowering his ERA under 3.00. Manager John Gibbons took him out of the game at that point, citing a long season and the finger issues Stroman has battled the past month.

The fiery right-hander was one of the few bright spots for the Jays season, which will end here Sunday afternoon with Game 162. And reaching the 200 mark again means a ton to the diminutive pitcher as an “up yours” from Stroman to those who have doubted his durability.

“It was a goal of mine when I got into the league,” Stroman said. “The fact that everyone when I got into the big leagues said I was too short to be a starting pitcher … it shifted from that to: ‘He’s not a durable pitcher and won’t be able to last.’

“I’m strong. I can throw another 100 innings if I want to.”

Gibbons was well aware of when he was lifting Stroman and applauded the significance of hitting 200 again.

“It means a lot,” Gibbons said. “It means a lot to me, too. It’s a benchmark, it’s what the really good ones do. It puts you at an elite level.”

In fact, only 11 pitchers in the majors have reached the double century mark so far this season. Stroman put a bow on his year with 201 innings pitched from 33 starts and an ERA of 3.09.

Is the best yet to come? At 26, and with a work-in-progress change-up, Stroman believes so.

“I honestly feel like I’m just getting started, that I’m only going to get better from this point on,” said Stroman, who snapped a six-game unbeaten streak on the road dating back to July 17. “I’m truly starting to learn about my craft. I’ll expect a better year out of myself next year.”

JUDGE-MENT TIME

The sensational campaign by Judge has had many memorable moments and the Jays have been at the centre of a few of them.

The rocket over the stands in left field on Saturday was Judge’s 52nd of the season and the 10th against the Jays and third off Stroman.

The 484-foot estimated measurement made it the fourth longest homer recorded in the majors this season. He also holds No. 1 on the list, a 495-foot shot.

“That’s one of the most impressive home runs I’ve seen,” said the man who had the best view in the house, Jays catcher Russell Martin. “It was incredible.”

Judge also broke a Yankees record with his 33rd homer at home. Babe Ruth hit 32 back in 1921. And 52 overall ties Judge with Mickey Mantle for the eighth most in a single season. It’s the most home-field round-trippers by any player since Jose Bautista hit 33 at the Rogers Centre in his 54-homer 2010 season.

And finally, to add to his historic company, Judge became the first Yankee with 15 homers in a month since Roger Maris in 1961.

Judge is clearly heating up at the right time, banging out nine homers in his past 12 games and 15 in 25.

“The ones he hits — you sit there and admire the distances of some of those things,” Gibbons said. “Tremendous year.”

GAME ON

With Boston’s win over Houston, the Red Sox clinched the AL East, designating the Yankees to the AL wild-card game which will be played here on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins … The lone Jays run came in the eighth when a bases-loaded Josh Donaldson fly ball drove in Ezequiel Carrera. It was the visitors’ first run in the series after getting blanked in Friday’s opener and their first in 16 innings … The divisional games are obviously key and the Yanks are now 45-31 versus the AL East, their highest division win total since 2009. The Jays, meanwhile, are 32-43.

QUICK HITS

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins has been with the team for much of the season-ending road trip and, along with Gibbons and his coaching staff, has been conducting exit interviews with players. “We’ve been hauling them in here individually,” Gibbons said. “We’ve been talking about what they need to work on and their situation.” … Triple trouble? Somewhat incredibly, the Jays have hit just five triples this season, the fewest of any team in MLB history … Rob Refsnyder was the odd choice for DH on Saturday as Kendrys Morales sat with a sore right Achilles tendon.